From Michael Foot’s Jacket to Bernie Sanders Parka & mittens: sensible warm clothing
Male politicians of a certain kind love suits and wont be seen anywhere much without wearing one. Yet in winter the desire to be a suit wearer has been subsumed by politicians who understand that keeping warm is more important.
Appearing at Joe Biden’s Inauguration on 20th January Bernie Sanders wore a parka and giant designer mittens. Cue huge media commentary. Sanders noted
“In Vermont, we dress warm – we know something about the cold. We’re not so concerned about good fashion. We want to keep warm. And that’s what I did today.”
An earlier example was Michael Foot at the Cenotaph in 1981. He was derided for a wearing a ‘donkey jacket’ which was in fact a rather smart and warm coat. Its now in the National Museum of Labour History
one of the museum’s most striking exhibits – the coat worn by the Labour Party leader Michael Foot at the National Service of Remembrance, held at The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, on Remembrance Sunday, 1981. This coat was depicted in the press as a donkey jacket, which is something a manual worker might wear. As a result, it was widely believed that Foot, whose party then supported unilateral nuclear disarmament, had disrespected those who had sacrificed their lives in defence of the nation. He was, the argument went, consequently unfit to become Prime Minister. Yet, if you see the coat in the museum it is perfectly respectable and indeed Foot was praised by the Queen Mother for his choice. But, as Foot’s private papers held in the museum archive show, he received many letters from those who believed he had worn a donkey jacket.
(Steven Fielding 2018)
Revolt into style. Suit wearers please note
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